David’s introduction to cruises and steamer services from Granton and Trinity

From 1821, when the Chain Pier at Trinity was opened, until 1838, when Granton Harbour was opened, the Chain Pier was the main point from which the Forth services departed. After 1838 the Chain Pier was mainly used by the steamers owned by Andrew Greig, who bought the pier in 1840.

The first steamer to use the Chain Pier was the ‘Tourist’, which operated services to Aberdeen and London from 1821. Up till the 1850s this steamer en route to Aberdeen called for passengers and goods at Elie, Anstruther and Crail, but in 1844 these ports got a cargo service operated by the ‘Stirling Castle’. A new vessel, ‘Xantho’, was built for the service in 1848, but was replaced in 1856 by ‘Forth’. The services to Aberdeen and London were discontinued in 1875.

In 1826 a steamer service was started from the Chain Pier at Trinity to Dysart, Leven and Lower Largo, using the steamer ‘Victory’ and from 1828 ‘Rapid’. In 1831 ‘Rapid’ was destroyed by fire and ‘Victory’ was withdrawn shortly afterwards and was replaced by the former Clyde steamer ‘St George’, which itself was replaced in 1843 by another ex-Clyde steamer, ‘Royal Tar’.

A steamer service to Dundee from the Chain Pier was started in 1836 by ‘Northern Yacht’. In 1840 ‘Benledi’ was sailing from Granton to Dundee. In 1844 another ex-Clyde steamer ‘Windsor Castle’ took over the service, but it was wrecked the same year. A new Clyde steamer, ‘Britannia’, was introduced to the service in 1845, but it was sold in 1847. In 1848 a new vessel ‘Fair Trader’ was placed on the Chain Pier to Lower Largo service, and two new steamers, ‘Bold Buccleuch’ and ‘Earl of Rosslyn’ were put on the Granton to Dundee service. All three steamers were sold in 1849 when the owning company went into liquidation, and that ended the services to Dundee and Lower Largo.

In 1829 steamer cruises were started from the Chain Pier to Inchkeith, Inchcolm and May Island, but they became less frequent after 1840.

From 1844 to 1848 the steamers ‘Queen’ and ‘Edinburgh Castle’ sailed from the Chain Pier to Kirkcaldy. In 1848 the vessel ‘Fair Trader’ sailed from Anstruther to Pittenweem, Elie, Largo, Leven, Dysart and Kirkcaldy to the Chain Pier. Other steamers sailed from the Chain Pier to Aberdour and Kirkcaldy.

By 1852 the Chain Pier had become unsuitable for handling heavy goods, so the nearby Stone Pier at Newhaven was used for these instead, but passengers still embarked at the Chain Pier.

In 1934 the former McBrayne's steamer ‘Fusilier’ sailed from Granton to Largo on cruises. She sailed, also, to the Bass Rock, May Island, Anstruther or the Forth Bridge via Kirkcaldy. In 1936 the steamer ‘Brocklesby’ replaced the ‘Fusilier’ on the Granton cruises.

In 1947 a vessel ‘Royal Lady’ sailed on cruises from Granton to Inchcolm and the Forth Bridge, and in 1950 she operated the service again.

From 1961 to 1964 Granton to Inchcolm cruises were operated by a small vessel, the ‘The Second Snark’,(preserved) which sailed as part of an Edinburgh city coach tour.

In 1981, 1982 and 1983 the paddle steamer ‘Waverley’operated Forth cruises calling at Granton and Burntisland. On the vessel's first visit to Granton she was seriously overbooked, and many intending passengers, of whom the author of this article was one, were left stranded on the Middle Pier. There were angry scenes at the harbour, and there was nearly a riot, so the captain eventually called the police, who managed to calm the crowd without making any arrests. Most of the disappointed passengers who had booked their passage had their fares refunded.

From 1989 to 2002 another preserved vessel ‘Balmoral’ visited Granton and undertook cruises to Aberdour, Burntisland, Anstruther, May Island, the Bass Rock, Eyemouth and Berwick-upon-Tweed. One way trips were undertaken to Amble and Newcastle, the passengers returning to Edinburgh by coach.